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Hello
India is a place that you either love and return to again and again, or visit once and never return. My first visit was when I was 20 (some years ago) but since 2006 we've visited regularly, sourcing Anglo-Indian furniture and architectural elements. Often we travelled with our daughter and on most trips added a side trip ~ something not related to sourcing antiques :)
We experienced a few hair-raising drives - the worst one was being to the tea stations in Munnar, thats a whole other story. We seeked out grass roots orgs on the outskirts of Jodphur helping young girls to get education in Rajasthan, as well as some fab print and fabric making factories in Jaipur. Of course we seek out markets in all shapes and sizes.
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Inspired by street food and markets we love sourcing small items like old spice boxes & chapati rolling pins as well as large scale architectural antiques and furniture. A market highlight was Chandni Chowk situated in the heart of Old Delhi, one of the oldest and largest markets in India. This kind of chaos is not for everyone. If you are brave enough skip the rickshaw wallahs and the traffic jams and take to the streets on foot…it is pure human chaos.
Our destination was Khari Baoli, the spice market, but there were many distractions along the way… Throngs of buyers & sellers crowd the streets, humming alongside human rickshaws, touts, maimed street beggars and shiny faced children in crisp clothing on their way to school. A twisted maze of alley ways make up the market areas - here you will find the best-worst smells of India.
Down every alley way are specialist sellers – in Nai Sarak its stationery and books while in Lal Kuan you'll find hardware. Tilak is an industrial chemical market, and Dariba Kalan is the street for jewellery…many of the shops have traded here for over 200 years. Katra Neel is the cloth market where Saris, silk and every other fabric imaginable are sold.
After an hour of walking deep into the market we finally hit a corner…a crazy chaotic corner...
A mass of push carts, rickshaws and human traffic trying to go in different directions. This is the start of Khari Baoli -the smell was intoxicating, a combination of sweet dates and dried figs... Sacks of dried fruits, nuts, tamarind, dry plums, rice, grains and spcies like mulberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry leaves, herbs were everywhere. Alongside the aromas was a visual kaleidoscope of colour as bags of flowers spilt on to the street. A small group of flower sellers as the wholesale market moved to the outskirts of Delhi some years ago…that could be a whole other trip ❀
Like many large markets around the world - for the uninitiated it's very easy to get distracted or lost before you reach the pulsing heart of this place. Similarly when people visit the Puce in Paris - they often never get past the first few blocks of alley ways. Do some research and know where you want to go and what you want to see…use google maps to get familiar with the area first.
Generally, 3-4 hours in a crowded heaving environment like this is my max before I feel completely overwhelmed. There are plenty of tours/walks available if that’s your preference and also lots of local touts who will hassle you senseless once you arrive … be prepared.
Visiting markets in India captures the beautiful chaos in one place and gives you the chance to embrace the powerful nature of travel. It's also a good reminder that when we travel we should do it with grace and curiosity.
Find our selection of spice boxes, antiques doors and stone elements online or get in touch if you are visiting Byron Bay !
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